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Practical Nurse WorkLicensed practical nurses (LPN) care for the sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. Most licensed practical nurses provide basic bedside care, taking vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiration. Licensed practical nurses also prepare and give injections, monitor catheters, apply dressings, treat bedsores, and give alcohol rubs and massages. They collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests, feed patients, and record food and fluid intake and output. Practical nurses monitor their patients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. To help keep patients comfortable, practical nurses assist with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene. In states where the law allows, they may administer prescribed medicines or start intravenous fluids. Some licensed practical nurses help deliver, care for, and feed infants. Experienced licensed practical nurses may supervise nursing assistants and aides. In addition to providing routine beside care, licensed practical nurses in nursing care facilities help evaluate residents' needs, develop care plans, and supervise the care provided by nursing aides. In doctors' offices and clinics, licensed practical nurses may also make appointments, keep records, and perform other clerical duties. Licensed Practical Nurses who work in private homes may prepare meals and teach family members simple nursing tasks. Most licensed practical nurses in hospitals and nursing care facilities work a 40-hour week, but because patients need around-the-clock care, some work nights, weekends, and holidays. Licensed Practical Nurses often stand for long periods and help patients move in bed, stand, or walk. Practical nurses may face hazards from caustic chemicals, radiation, and infectious diseases such as hepatitis. They are subject to back injuries when moving patients and shock from electrical equipment. Licensed practical nurses must often deal with stress of heavy workloads. In addition, the patients they care for may be confused, irrational, agitated, or uncooperative. Featured Nursing School |
Smoking by Nurses Creates Workplace IssuesSmoking by nurses can create workplace problems that must be addressed by health care systems to promote better interactions between nurses and their patients and reduce dissension among staff, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center. |
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